Boot and shoe.



PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907. J. H. CUNNINGHAM.

BOOT AND SHOE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 6, 1906.

the rib extends.

JAMES H. CUNNINGHAM, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

gBOOT AND snon.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1907.

Application filed December s, 1906. Serial No. 346.582.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES H. CU NI G- HAM, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Boots andShoes.

In the wearing of boots and shoes havin high heels great trouble hasbeen caused by the breaking down of the shanks. This breaking down isnot only an injury to the shoe but a more serious injury to the feet ofthose wearing them.

v The objects of my invention are to prevent these injuries by holdingthe shanks of shoes in their original, position; to preserve the propershape of the shoes; to relieve the strain on the feet of the wearers soas to-p'ro tect them from'injury and to make elastic and comfortableshoes. I attain these objects by the devices herein described or shownin the accompanying drawings, and in Figure 1 represents a sole Ashowing a shank-piece B fastened on the upper or flesh side by rivetsmarked d. Fig. 2, shows a longitudinal section of the same sole showingthe rib C extending through the sole. Fig. 3 shows, an elevation, and Fi4 a transverse section, of the shank-piece with the rib (J. Fig. 5exhibits a shoe having the shank-piece in place between the outer andthe inner soles, with the ribs C extending through the outer sole, shownalong the line y y in Fig. 1.

After the outer soles intendedfor shoes have been cut into shape andprepared for that part of the process of making shoes, called bottoming,I attach a piece or shank of metal-to the upper or flesh side of thesole. This shank-piece is made substantial] in the-feign shown in Figs.3 and 4 marked and is made preferably from some elastic metal, as brass,and is fastened permanently to the outer sole. This shankpiece is madewith a rib on lts under-side, which rib passes through the outer sole 1nan openingsmarked F. The lower or outer side of the iii) 0, is madesubstantially in the form in which the shank of the shoe is made, i. e.,the form of the arch of the rib is the proposed arch of the shank of theshoe. This rib is inflexible and will hold the shanks of the shoes in apermanent position, so far as These ribs vary somewhat in length,generally from two and one-half to three inches for medium sizes of mensand womens shoes, conforming to the length of the shank pieces, whichvary according to the size of the shoes.

All shoemakers will understand the reasons and the limits of thesevariations in length. The width of the shank-piece is substantially thedistance between the rows of sewing, or bther fastening, which attachthe outer soles to the inner soles or uppers of the shoe. 7

It will be noticed that the rounded end of the shank-piece extends backin the shoe far enough to rest upon the heel, while it is intended tohave the back end of the rib to start at the front of the heel.

While the rib o is made Surname as to uphold the shank of the shoe andto sup ort the shank of the foot, the other parts 0 the shank supporterare elastic and allow the shoe to be pliable to some-degree, so as to beeasy to the foot of the ,wearer. The shank sup orters are made le'ngenou h to extend placed a ainst the front of the heel of the shoe, andto reach substantially to the point where the sole ofthe shoe will touchthe ground, but they In ust not be long enough to reachthat part of theshoe which is called in. the trade the ball.

The shank pieces should never extend from the heels forward far enoughto reach the part of the ou/tcr soles which will touch the ground when.on the feet of a person, and the ribs should extend only through thesoles substantially to the outer or under sides of the outer sole-s.

The thickness. of the shank-pieces should be such as will allow someelasticity as will be obvious to all those skilled in the trade ofmaking shoes. The thickness and elasticity of the metal should varysomewhat, using thicker metal for mens heavy shoes and thinner for lightshoes, especially those for women and children. These shank-pieces arefastened in place in the shoes, cs ')ecially in heavy shoes preferablyby rivets through the outer soles, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but

-it may not be necessary to use many rivets as, therein shown in lightshoes. In some light shoes for women, the shank-pieces may be attachedto the s lo by other devices than grade of shank pieces may be used toadvantage in thin shoes having no such inner soles, such as thin shoesfor. ladies; but even in these, an inner sole of some kind is com monlyused.

It has been a common practice'in shoemaking to place shank-piecesbetween the outer and the inner'soles of shoes; but I do not know thatshank-pieees, such as I have herein shown, having a rib passing throughthe outer soles and permanently attached thereto have ever been usedbefore myinvention.

What I claim and desire ters Patent is:

1. A boot or shoe, having an outer sole to secure by Letprovided with aslot, a shank-piece upon the provided with .a slot extending from the.

breast of the heel, a shank-piece attached to the inner or upper side ofthe sole and pro-' vided with a rigid rib lyin in said slot, and

extending downward su stantially flush with the outer or lower side ofthe outer sole.

Witnesses: v HERMAN LOEWENBERG, J HN H! DUANE, Jr.

JAMES H. CUNNINGHAM.

